[CONFLICT] The Old Nord Way...

[u/cthulhuh00p]

Zizi arrives in Ivarstead, just days after her diplomat was murdered. She calls from atop a hill, "Torygg! Come face me! You shall duel me in the way of your people. No weapons, no magic, no Thu'um. This is to be a fair fight. If you win, my soldiers will leave the Rift. If I win, the Rift shall become a legal part of the Republic."

As she finishes speaking, her guards back away, and she waits patiently for Torygg to come face here.

[u/JocundXarxes]

Endrys materializes alongside her, eyes wide and his head spinning. It wasn't his first time, but he hadn't teleported in ages. As his system regulated, he looks out at the mess of blood between the two leaders.

Endrys hoped it would be the only blood he had to see that day; he felt odd in his stomach, and not from the magics. His mind seemed elsewhere, though he rallied his spirits the best he could. Endrys had to make sure Mita didn't get herself, or anyone else, killed today.

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/JocundXarxes]

Mita gives her King an emotionless look before acting upon her own accord and advancing to the cat, bloodied and beaten.

The Dunmer removes her helm, a truly ugly thing in her opinion, and bows to the sovereign.

"What am I charged with, dearest Zizi? Sovereign of White-Gold, daughter of Titus and..." Mita blanks, "Some cat," she dismissively decides, a petty jab, but it bit nonetheless. "I know that you know what I have done. If I find that your charges are fair, I will submit to justice. If I don't, I will deliver justice. I am a being of reason."

Her red eyes test the woman, a smug smirk plastering her face as looks down upon a pained face in the light blanket of snow.

/u/cthulhuh00p

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"This is no trial. You will be held and tried for your crimes against this world by the neutral justors of the Intransigent Assembly. May S'rendarr have mercy on you when you do...."

[u/mewtwo928 → u/cthulhuh00p]

"Do not harm her," said the disembodied voice coming from the mist. She would certainly know who it was. "No one should die here.'

"This was a fight most unfair," Lysayna said. "You have brought this on yourselves."

Two Mage were here. Aryon, having transported with Endrys. And Sethan Velothan, his wrinkled bony hand emerging from robes that floated over the ground. The Telvanni were interested to see how this played out

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/mewtwo928]

Mita wonders if he refers to her or Zizi.

"Oh, the cheek! The influence of the Ruby Fool is strong, I can see. I was here to see what you'd come up with. Certainly, I thought, you'd have something..."

"As for the assembly, which is headed by my friend, Endrys, a man who is famous for his mercy in regards to my antics-- do you really think the Assembly will exist after you acquire more territory? How long before you claim I'm Nibenese and take my home? You sat and spoke of peace at a table and then you invade a country."

"Your army could double and it wouldn't be able to an entire world against you. I beg of you to save yourself the burden of regret, to save yourself the fatigue of redemption; go home Zizi. Go home and I will submit myself to higher forces, House Hlaalu will pay to rebuild Riften once you surrender it, and we avoid war. I give you this one chance."

/u/cthulhuh00p

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"If the Rift becomes an independent territory, free of all political control of power hungry nations, and you agree to submit yourself for justice, I will withdraw my troops. Nibenay will continue economic aid to the hold, obviously, but we will extend no formal political power over it. But I am quite sure that the warmongering Torygg will not allow such a peace."

/u/thewildryanoceros

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/cthulhuh00p]

"Warmongering?" Mita scoffs, her grip beginning to tighten around her spear, "You started this. You decided to use airships to rain fire upon Windhelm..."

"And you," she perched an accusing finger to Endrys, "I cannot make my mind up about you. I could've just had my head lopped off that day and we'd save ourselves trouble."

Her eyes narrow at the unwell man, "Mora said you smiled when they left too. This is on you as much as it is on the Republic."

"Making Riften an independent nation?" Mita laughs, "How would it support itself? Anyone can see that is a bad idea, if anything, it'll just become a puppet state, despite the fact you say otherwise. I. Don't. Believe. You. Riften returns to Skyrim, and the Nibenese Republic will be required to demilitarize and a restriction will be placed on your standing army in order for me to agree. I do love life, dearest Zizi. Very much so. If I'm to die, it won't be because some pompous carpet thought she could fool me."

/u/thewildryanoceros

/u/JocundXarxes

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"You purport to be reasonable, yet you scoff at the very idea of negotiations. If you refused to be reasonable, then this standoff shall continue. We will not leave until the safety of the Rift is secured."

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/cthulhuh00p]

"What can you offer the people of the Rift that Skyrim cannot?" Mita perches an eyebrow. "I was once the leader of an independent, small state just like the Rift-- underdeveloped, with few resources, no infrastructure, and teeming with corruption. It served my people no good to split from Resdayn proper, besides the fact it showed Endrys I could do it."

"You do a great disservice to these people. It is truly sad that you cannot see what is before you and look into the recent past and find fault with it."

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"Skyrim has done nothing but impose harsh taxes and harsher laws upon the people of the Rift. They have never helped the people of the Rift. As an independent nation, the Rift would be free from both of these, and Skyrim could still provide economic support, while Nibenay does the same. This option is best for the people of the Rift. Hell, if the Rift is released as an independent nation, I will ensure that my army is reduced by three quarters, as a symbol of good faith."

/u/thewildryanoceros

[I understand that your character is a shithead, but I want to let y'all know out of character that I'm seriously not trying to take control. Zizi's heart is set on freeing people from injustice. Which sometimes requires a flex of the military muscles, like in Stormhold. But once this engagement is over, I'm planning on splitting Nibenay up into three or four separate nations.]

[u/mewtwo928 → u/cthulhuh00p]

"King Torygg," queries Lysana, "what would you have done if she'd asked you to negotiate rather than what happened? What would you have said if she'd offered to help the people of the rift or begged you to help them?"

/u/thewildryanoceros

[u/thewildryanoceros → u/mewtwo928]

Torygg stands to his full stature. "I would have maintained the stance I have taken since this began. They invaded, and unless they remove their troops, there will be war. Such is the nature of an invasion, and to expect anything less is folly on the part of an inexperienced ruler."

[u/mewtwo928 → u/thewildryanoceros]

"Yes, I understand, but I mean if she had come to you, rather than invading in the first place."

[u/thewildryanoceros → u/mewtwo928]

"I was very ill when this invasion was launched. I likely would have heard what she had to say, and made changes in the governance of the Rift. But for her to think she has any right to judge my rule…" Torygg grew angry, and took deep breaths to calm himself, "…is highly presumptuous of her. She has proven to be an arbitrary and mad ruler, not fit to lead a nation."

[u/mewtwo928 → u/thewildryanoceros]

Lysayna nodded. "You are exactly right," she said.,

[u/thewildryanoceros → u/cthulhuh00p]

"I care not for the size of your army. Riften is a part of Skyrim. And if you knew anything about the governance of our land, you would know it is he Jarl, not the High King, that imposes taxes. For instance, the hold of Haafingar is entirely tax free. Economic matters lie with the Jarls, as the control direct governance."

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thewildryanoceros]

[The Jarl taxes, and the High King also demands taxes from the Jarls. That's how feudalism works.]

[u/thewildryanoceros → u/cthulhuh00p]

[Except that I haven't made any of my jarls pay taxes, except during wartime.]

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/cthulhuh00p]

[you good, like you said, my characters a shit head and she's going to get what's coming to her quite soon]

"You know my conditions," Mita sneers, "The army will be reduced regardless of any choices made today."

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"Nibenese troops will remain in the hold until the Rift is guaranteed independence."

She gestures to her guards, and turns to leave.

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/cthulhuh00p]

Mita puts her helmet back on and returns to Endrys' side, "Well, at least I get to live a little longer as a free woman, Superintendent." She confidently affirms, a certain swagger to her walk, a cockiness that comes from thinking she knows more than she should, and rooted in childishness nonetheless.

"That is, if you still think an alliance with these people is a good idea," she poses, her heart racing with hope and self preservation. She praises the Three and curses the same Three for the stubborn, yet wholesomeness, of the cat, truly like Titus in that regard.

/u/JocundXarxes

[u/JocundXarxes → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

Endrys stiffens his neck and draws a long breath of the crisp northern air before sighing.

"Mita," he begins, "every alliance is wrapped in turmoil. But burning Riften, as strategic to your cause as it was, took the lives of people under a Dunmer flag, jeopardizing Morrowind's future. I will conviene with Zizi as to the proper punishments, but for now, let us leave this place. There is so much to be done back home." he finishes with a certain smirk, as if to acknowledge Mita's earlier statements of uncertainty, and yet in a refusal to comment.

[out of character: I do already have a plan for the dismemberment of the Assembly, and I'm very close to being able to do it. Thulhu, if you would please stave off from destroying it just yet.]

/u/thesixwalkingfarts

/u/cthulhuh00p

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/JocundXarxes]

[Zizi is dead. This meeting was in a time bubble before that, but she committed suicide. And Nibenay was separated into four countries. And elections will be held for each position. I no longer have a national claim, just my characters.]

[u/JocundXarxes → u/cthulhuh00p]

[I know. He decided he'd talk to you about the issue, then hears she died. So, he's left to handle Mita on his own. Plot devices, that's all.]

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/JocundXarxes]

Kk. Her wife, Joneshii (the former leader of Malapia) is alive and willing to help.

[u/mewtwo928 → u/JocundXarxes]

Aryon and Sethan can help too

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/JocundXarxes]

The color drains from her face, "I'm going home," she snaps at her mage and gives a frazzled look to Endrys.

Her mage hesitates and guards tense, "No." Her teeth come together. She readies her spear but it is taken from her by a sad looking Vendarys, who had just arrived after Angoril had sent a message via Dreamsleeve from The Turtledove, en route to Balfiera with his son, detailing what Mita was about to do. "Give it back." she demands.

"No." she says again, a quiver to her voice. She never thought he'd actually do it. Above all, he sat there with his smug smirk...

Guards in bonemold advance and her eyes dart to her Second Councilor and her mage, her gaze wide and feral. "You won't do this to me. You can't, Mita continues, the shock getting to her.

"You'll pay for this." She vows with narrow eyes. As guards restrain her. She fights against them, thrashing. An elbow hits a man's face and breaks his nose. She is subdued by a sword to her throat, her hair disarrayed, her helm in the snow...

[perhaps a rep from skyrim]

[u/JocundXarxes → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

Endrys casts a blue light from his hands; a conjuration circle crackling into the ground beneath Mita, her guards, and the surrounding advisers and friends of the royalties present.

"As Superintendent of the Intransigent Assembly, I, Endrys Venim Redoran do hereby swear to see justice done." he then looks to Zizi. "Go with grace your majesty, I'll piece House Hlaalu back together."

He then flicks his wrists, and the Dunmer entourage is consumed with a blue blaze. As the fire dies down, the conjuration circle has vanished, and all within it, to a prison cell beneath Redoran Manor in Blacklight.